Valve for concrete pump or similar machine



Aug. 20, 1968 R. w. BUSHMEYER 3,397,360

VALVE FOR CONCRETE PUMP OR SIMILAR MACHINE Filed April 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 226%WMWM:

g M M, M id ATTORNEYS VALVE FOR CONCRETE PUMP OR SIMILAR MACHINE Filed April 19, 1966 2 Aug. 20, 1968 R. w. BUSHMEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet lNl/EN TOR w%wz yer ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,397,860 VALVE FOR CONCRETE PUMP 0R SIMILAR MACHINE Richard W. Bushmeyer, Rockford, 111., assignor to .I. I. Case Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 543,691 1 Claim. (Cl. 251--61.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A conduit section normally open for the flow of material therethrough is provided with valve means for controlling such flow. The valve means comprises a tubular member held within the conduit section by internal shoulders adjacent opposite ends of the section. A flexible diaphragm has its outer edges permanently sealed to the inner wall surface of the tubular member to form a separate fluid receiving compartment within the tubular member. Fluid flowing into the compartment under pressure moves the diaphragm into sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of the tubular member to completely close the opening therethrough. Release of the pressure allows the material to move the diaphragm back to its initial position and resume its flow.

This invention relates to a valve positioned in a conduit for controlling the flow of material therethrough, with particular reference to abrasive materials, such as concrete, for example, which may have rough aggregate enbodied therein.

It has been customary, heretofore, to use either gate or plug type valves to control the flow of concrete from the mixer through the conduit that directs the concrete to the specific location it is poured. The valves are operated by hydraulic cylinders and require accurate slides or ways to retain and guide them into effective sealing position. It is expensive to maintain equipment of this type in operating condition.

The gate type valve generally comprises a metal blade that is forced into the stream of concrete into sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of the conduit. Most of the aggregate is pushed to one side of the blade or the other as the blade moves toward the inner wall surface of the conduit, but often some pieces of aggregate are caught between the blade and the wall of the conduit, and the blade must crush them to provide an effective seal. A plug type valve of this type comprises a metal plunger having an outer covering of rubber. The plunger is forced against the wall of the conduit 'by a hydraulic cylinder to seal the conduit against the flow of concrete. The rubber becomes deformed as portions of the aggregate are trapped between it and the wall of the conduit, and the abrasive engagement between the rubber and the aggregate soon impairs the sealing efliciency of the plunger.

A valve constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a flexible diaphragm that is moved into sealing engagement with the conduit by fluid pressure and does not require any hydraulic cylinder or the accurately machined parts incidental thereto. The pressure chamber is vented to the atmosphere, thereby enabling the concrete to move the diaphragm away from its sealing engagement with the wall of the conduit when the fluid pressure is shut off and the vent is opened. The flexibility of the diaphragm enables it to enfold the aggregate trapped between it and the wall of the conduit. The diaphragm forms an effective seal without crushing the trapped aggregate and therefore eliminates the deleterious abrasive engagement to which the rubber coated plunger of the plug type valve is subjected. The diaphragm is 3,397,860 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 "ice imperforate and prevents any possibility of water from the concrete mix from leaking out from the conduit.

Suitable structure by means of which the above mentioned and other advantages of the invention are attained will be. described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a few preferred embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a conduit section containing one embodiment of the valve in closed position, with a portion broken away to facilitate illustration of the structure;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view in the plane indicated by the line 22 of FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view, similar to FIGURE 1, showing the valve in open position;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view in the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view, on a reduced scale in the plane indicated by the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view, on a reduced scale, showing another embodiment of the valve, the solid lines showing the valve open, and the dash line indicating the closed position of the valve;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the valve in which the dash line indicates the open position of the valve;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view in the plane indicated by the line Ill-10 of FIGURE 9 with the bladder in deflated position;

FIGURE 11 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the valve;

FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view in the plane indicated by the line 1212 of FIGURE 11 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 13 is a longitudinal sectional view, on a reduced scale, of a conduit section having two valves arranged in series to provide two longitudinally spaced sealing zones; and

FIGURE 14 is a longitudinal sectional view, on a reduced scale of a conduit section having two diaphragms adapted to engage each other in their closed position.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 7 of the drawings, a conduit section 11 defines a passageway for the flow of concrete or other flowable material. The conduit section comprises a cylindrical wall 12 and an annular flange 13 extending outwardly of each end of the cylindrical wall. The outer surface of each flange is flat so that a plurality of sections may be secured together to make a conduit of any desired length. The inner surface of the cylindrical wall 12 is recessed to provide an internal annular shoulder 14 at each end of the conduit section. A tubular member 16 having a length corresponding to the length of the cylindrical recess defined by the shoulders 14 is positioned in the conduit section with its ends abutting the annular shoulders 14. The tubular member is preferably made of rubber or other similar material and covers the inner surface of the conduit section to form a relatively soft inner wall surface.

A diaphragm 17 of flexible elastomeric material, such as rubber, has its outer edge portion permanently sealed to the inner wall surface of the tubular member, as indicated at 18. The diaphragm preferably is of elongated oval shape, as shown in FIGURE 7, but may be of any desired shape. The portion of the diaphragm within the area defined by the permanent seal is free of any permanent connection with the inner wall surface of the tubular member 16 and forms a separate fluid receiving compartment 19 within the conduit section.

A fitting 22 extends through aligned openings in the cylindrical wall 12 and the tubular member 16 to provide an inlet opening 23 communicating with the fluid receiving compartment 19. Another fitting 24 also extends through similar aligned openings to provide a discharge opening 26 communicating with the compartment 19. The fitting 22 is connected to a source of fluid, either oil or air, under pressure. If air is used, the fitting 24 may be opened to the atmosphere when the compartment 19 is to be deflated.

When the fluid receiving compartment 19 is deflated, the diaphragm 17 does not impede the flow of concrete or other flowable material, indicated at 21, through the conduit section. When the flow of such material is to be stopped or interrupted, the inlet opening 23 is opened to the flow of fluid under pressure, which expands the diaphragm 17 to move it into sealing engagement with the inner wall surface around the entire inner circumference of the tubular member 16. As the diaphragm moves into engagement with the inner wall surface of the tubular member 16, it enfolds all pieces of aggregate that are not pushed to one side or the other, and forms an effective seal without crushing the trapped aggregate. The elongated oval shape is preferred for the diaphragm because it assumes a semiellipsoidal configuration as it expands, and such configuration provides maximum resistance to the pressure exerted against it by the concrete. When the sealing zone between the diaphragm and the inner wall surface of the tubular member 16 becomes continuous around the inner circumference of the tubular member, the flow of concrete is effectively stopped.

In order to permit the resumption of the flow of concrete or other material through the conduit section, it is necessary only to stop the flow of fluid under pressure through the inlet fitting and to open the discharge opening. The pressure of the concrete deflates the fluid receiving compartment and moves the diaphragm 17 back to its initial position, thus opening the passageway through the tubular member 16.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 8, the fluid receiving compartment comprises an inflatable bladder 27 that is secured to the cylindrical wall 28 of a conduit section 29. The conduit section 29 is similar to the conduit section 11 except that the inlet opening 31 and the outlet opening 32 are aligned longitudinally. The bladder 27 is secured to the conduit section 29 by an inlet fitting 33 and a discharge fitting 34. The inner surface of the cylindrical wall 28 is recessed, as indicated at 36, and a portion of the bladder fits within the recess in its deflated condition to minimize the restriction to the flow passageway through the tubular conduit section.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIG- URES 9 and is similar to the embodiment of FIG- URE 8 in that a fluid receiving compartment is provided in a conduit section 37 by an inflatable bladder 38 secured to a wall 39 of the conduit section by an inlet fitting 41 and a discharge fitting 42. The inner surface of the wall 39 is provided with a recess 43, similar to the recess 36 of FIGURE 8, to receive one wall of the bladder 38.

The special advantages attained with the structure of FIGURES 9 and 10 are caused by changes made in the configuration of the longitudinal wall of the conduit section. One side of the conduit section is bulged outwardly, as indicated at 44, and the opposite side is shaped to conform generally to the curvature of the first side, as indicated at 45. This alteration in the shape of the conduit section 37 minimizes the distortion to which the diaphragm is subjected. The intermediate portion of the longitudinal wall of the conduit section is pinched inwardly, as indicated at 46 and 47. The inwardly extending portions of the longitudinal wall of the conduit engage the bladder at or near its longitudinal center when the bladder is inflated, and cooperate therewith to increase the resistance of the diaphragm to the hydrostatic head exerted on it by the concrete or other material flowing through the passageway provided by the conduit section.

Another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in FIGURES 11 and 12. In this embodiment, a conduit section 48 has a wall 49 recessed, as indicated at 51, to receive an inflatable bladder 52 in its deflated condition. The bladder 52 is secured to the wall 49 by an inlet fitting 53 and a discharge fitting 54. The interior of the bladder 52 comprises the fluid receiving compartment. The central portion of the conduit section 48 is pinched inwardly, as indicated at 55, to increase the resistance of the diaphragm to the hydrostatic head exerted on it by the concrete, just as in the embodiment of FIG- URES 9 and 10. p

A flexible tubular hose 56 is positioned in the conduit section 48. The hose 56 is preferably made of rubber or plastic, but may be made of any suitable material. The inner surface of the conduit section 48is recessed to provide an internal annular shoulder 57 at each end of the conduit section 48. The shoulders 57 each preferably have a depth equal to the wall thickness of the hose 56. The bladder 52 is located between the hose 56 and the inner surface of the conduit section. When the bladder is inflated, it pushes the adjacent portion of the hose inwardly into sealing engagement with the opposite portion of the hose to shut off the flow of concrete or other flowable material through the conduit section.

The embodiments of the invention disclosed in FIG- URES l3 and 14 are alike in that each of them has two fluid receiving compartments. The only difference is that the bladders 58 in the conduit section 59 of FIGURE 13 are arranged in series, and the bladders 61 in the conduit section 62 of FIGURE 14 are positioned side-by-side so as to engage each other when they are inflated. The bladders 58 and 61 are secured to their respective conduit sections in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIG- URE 8. It will be understood that the fluid receiving compartments of FIGURES 13 or 14 may be formed in the same manner as in any of the embodiments hereinabove described.

The structure disclosed in FIGURE 13 provides two spaced sealing zones for added security. If the upper bladder 58 fails for any reason, or if any of the concrete slips by the upper sealing zone before the conduit section is completely sealed, the lower bladder will flow through the conduit section.

The embodiment of FIGURE 14 also provides added security for sealing the passageway to prevent flow of con: crete or other flowable material through the conduit section 62. Normally, the reduction in the amount of stretch of the bladders 61, when both bladders are used, prolongs the useful life of each bladder. If one bladder fails for any reason, the other bladder may be used alone until it is convenient to replace the conduit section with another conduit section having two bladders.

Although a few preferred embodiments of the inven-. tion are described in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details of structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not desired to be restricted to the exact structure disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a conduit section and valve means for controlling the flow of flowable material therethrough, said conduit section having an inner wall recessed to provide an annular shoulder adjacent each end thereof, said means comprisinga tubular member fitting within said recess with its outer wall surface engaging the inner surface of said conduit section and its opposite ends abutting said shoulders to retain said tubular member against acci- 5 dental displacement within said conduit section, a flexible diaphragm having its outer edge portion permanently sealed to the inner wall surface of said tubular member and forming a separate fluid receiving compartment Within the tubular member, and separate inlet and discharge openings extending through one wall of said conduit section and communicating with said fluid receiving compartment for admitting and exhausting fluid under pressure relative to said fluid receiving compartment, whereby said diaphragm may be expanded into engagement with the inner wall surface of said tubular member to form a sealing zone extending completely around the inner circumference of said tubular member to prevent flow through said conduit section, said diaphragm being movable by pressure of material in said conduit to permit flow of said material through said conduit when said fluid pressure is released.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,069,261 2/ 1937 Monnet 251-5 XR 2,598,207 5/1952 Bailey et al 2S161. 1 2,676,609 4/1954 Pfarrer 25l61 XR 2,828,101 3/1958 Antram 2515 2,874,925 2/1959 Stafford 25161.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,121,902 3/1956 France.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD GERARD, Assistant Examiner. 

